expressions on the countenances of the men at the tea party ranged from pained, to surprised, to resigned, to horrified.
'I hate those bloody little chairs,' Stephen murmured.
'Yes,' Pamela said, her eyes dancing. 'I suspect you do.'
'I can see I'm not going to receive any pity from you,' Stephen said dryly.
'Not a bit.'
Stifling a sigh, Stephen joined the other males, and gently eased himself into the last remaining chair. Callie beamed at him and handed him a thimble of tea and a cookie, and he knew he was defeated. Yet no sooner had he gotten settled than a footman entered the room.
'The doctor has sent for you, my lord,' he said to Stephen, his expression carefully blank as he gazed upon his employer folded up on the tiny chair.
Stephen could actually feel the blood drain from his face. He jumped up, not an easy thing to do with a little pink chair attached to his bottom, and barked, 'Get this damn thing off me.'
The footman hurried forward and freed him. Stephen dashed from the room, ran up the stairs, and nearly knocked the doctor down in the corridor.
'Congratulations, my lord,' the doctor said with a jovial smile. 'The marchioness did splendidly. She is fine and your baby daughter is perfect.' He inclined his head in the direction of Hayley's bedchamber. 'They're expecting you.'
Stephen sprinted down the hallway and entered the bedchamber, his heart pounding so hard he thought he might actually faint. The sight that greeted his eyes completely unraveled him.
Hayley sat on the bed, dressed in a fresh cotton nightgown. She cradled a small bundle wrapped in a pink blanket in her arms. She looked up, saw Stephen, and a melting smile spread across her face.
'Stephen, look at her. Isn't she beautiful?'
Stephen walked to the bed. His legs felt decidedly weak. He dropped to his knees, grabbed Hayley's hand, and pressed a warm kiss into her palm.
'Are you all right, darling?' His voice came out in a husky rasp and he cleared his throat.
'I'm fine.' She smiled tenderly. 'Honestly, Stephen. I'm perfectly fit.'
He had heard stories of women dying in childbirth. Long, painful, agonizing deaths. Dear God, Hayley's own mother had died having Callie. His blood ran cold at the thought. 'To be perfectly honest, I've been rather frantic,' he admitted sheepishly.
Hayley squeezed his hand. 'I feel wonderful. Just a bit tired. Now, come sit beside me and meet your daughter.'
'My daughter,' Stephen repeated in an awe-filled voice. He carefully sat on the bed next to Hayley and peered into the blanket. He gazed at the wonder of his daughter and instantly fell in love. Her tiny bow-shaped mouth opened in a huge yawn. 'She's so
'Are you disappointed she's not a boy? I realize the importance of an heir-'
Stephen halted her words with a gentle kiss. 'How can you even ask that? I'm completely awed by my daughter. And her mother. I will gratefully accept as many daughters as you care to give me. I shall spoil them rotten and shoot any man who dares come near them.' His gaze strayed back to the miracle that was his child. 'Look how beautiful she is. I'll be beating suitors off with sticks.'
'Not for a few years,' Hayley said with a quiet laugh. 'What shall we name her?'
Stephen tenderly touched his daughter's tiny hand. Her fist opened and she wrapped her perfect, minuscule fingers around his thumb. A swell of love hit him so hard, it stole his breath. A lump lodged in his throat. Dear God, another angel.
'I think we should name her after her mother,' he said softly.
'Good heavens, surely you don't want to name her Hayley,' she said with a chuckle. 'And let's not carry on the Albright tradition of naming the children based on where they were conceived. I have no wish to name our daughter Carriage.'
Stephen looked again at his finger clutched by the tiny sleeping infant, then he raised his eyes and looked at his beautiful wife. His chest expanded and his heart turned over with love.
Overcome, he squeezed his eyes shut and pressed a kiss to Hayley's brow. 'I want to name her after her mother,' he repeated in an emotion-filled whisper. 'Angel. I want to call her Angel.'
Jacquie D’Alessandro
